6th December 2018

Review: “Umwelt” by All My Memories

Parisian Metallers All My Memories are the third unsigned band to request an album review from us at Metal Noise! It has been 1 year since the release of single “Thanatos” and 9 months since “Behind the Wall” made it’s appearance. In 2016 the quintet lost first their vocalist and then bassist and drummer and were forced to re-tool having been left with the founding guitarists alone. After some searching, in June 2017 they brought in a trio of new players and released “Thanatos” as their debut single with the new line-up.

After some cold industrial synths and opening drum pattern the opening vocals of “Terra Mater” rush in like a tornado on Siberian winters day. It’s a gutteral roar combined with a squeal that becomes a gang chant via some some brutal riffage. That introduction piece gives you a flavour for the bands sound before title track “Umwelt” sweeps in and clears the tables with some chunky riffs and Deathcore inspired vocals. A lead flourish inspired by Progressive sounds followed by the return of those cold synths add some brutal gravity to the song. There is a distinct European twang to some of the English lyrics but that is often more of a help than a hindrance, “Wasteland” utilizes those cod industrial soundscapes in the form of buried electrics that surfaces during a number of well timed riff breaks. Adding a surprise gang chant element and some Metalcore standard lead flourishes a manages to take everything away from the skeletal formula of verse-chorus-breakdown.

“Thanatos” maybe the oldest track on show here but it’s still one of the finer cuts on offer. At times the vocals maybe at odds with the guitar work in terms of being the heaviest element but that wet growl has a quality that grows with each repeated listen. “Coward” starts off by demonstrating some Tech-Metal leanings before overlaying them with slab after slab of Metalcore riffage. Musically, the band attempt to build something epic but the vocals lack the depth of range to carry it off and instead the two elements fight against each other in places. “Burn the Heaven” starts off with a programmed drum loop while building into a catchy hook. Bouncy riffage cuts through that and the wet, throaty vocals are backed up by a gang chant. Some tasteful Metalcore lead flourishes an energy that is in contrast to the pummelling vocal. One thing that is done incredibally well is the closing. A drop off to a slow building synth pattern and slow, understated breakdown. “Behind the Wall” features guest vocals from Anthony Doniak of Here Come The New Challenger and his shrill, higher pitched vocals are in stark contrast to usual fare. The cut to a spoken word is a nice touch while the synths take us into Industrial remix esq terrory for the last quarter. It’s almost that the track is in three distinct sections, each with its own selling point. “Unleash” has a similarly progressive styled movement within it that creates a layering within the track. There is a very distinct beginning, middle and end, using a pallette cleansing industrial groove to bring the track to a close. Given the title of the song, it perhaps lacks a punch in the guitars, instead opting to let the vocals and some solid footwork on the kit do that. The French language track “Le Treizieme Apotre” starts off with a slow and menacing groove that builds into a bouncier verse. A second of silence at the 2 minute mark makes way for a bring back and some buried electronics that are brighter than what the album offers to this point. Just when you think the music is going to mellow out they bring it back with a slower heavier groove that oozes quality.

“Steeplechase” picks up on those brighter synths with a slightly eerie tone and builds some flowing riffage. This is the first track where the language element shows through on the vocals as the English with a French accent isn’t masked by the wet growl. “Lorelei” keeps up the quality level with a groove laiden start that builds into a driven chorus. Their is a distinct air of tech influenced Metalcore with some very succato guitar work in places and those minute silences allow the nuances to become more apparent on each listen. All My Memories have created a sound that is in stark contrast to some of their peers. The approach is that the vocals remain a consistently heavy weight within the sound, only occasionally stepping down to a harsh spoken word. Instead the music is used to create a light and shade that gravitates around it with some eerie and menacing undercurrents. Those vocals could be off putting for some but given a couple of spins and they grow on you. Something Wicked this way comes. [7/10]

Track listing